Islamabad–The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Government of Pakistan organized a webinar to mark the international day for the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

The webinar was attended by the Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Syed Haider Ai Zaidi, officials from Ministry of Maritime Affairs, technical experts from FAO, representatives of local fisheries organizations, academia, research institutes, and fisheries experts and participants from various countries.

Emphasizing on the need to promote a blue economy and aquaculture, the Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Syed Haider Ai Zaidi underscored the contribution of fisheries and aquaculture to achieving the sustainable development goals. “The Ministry of Maritime Affairs is committed to uplifting the fisheries sector with better cooperation and coordination of all stakeholders in the country and providing a platform for guidance to provincial governments to meet international standards of the fisheries sector,” he said.
Technical experts from FAO delivered detailed presentations on the implementation of international instruments to achieve sustainable fisheries and also provided an overview of the FAO Global Record: international tool to fight IUU fishing and voluntary guidelines for catch documentation schemes.

The first International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing was celebrated for the first time on 5 June 2018, with FAO as the lead agency for the new international day. The date was selected because 5 June is the date, in 2016, when the first international treaty designed to end illegal fishing – the FAO Port State Measures Agreement – entered into force.

This international day is an important opportunity to highlight efforts taking place globally, regionally and nationally to combat illegal fishing. FAO welcomes all efforts by member countries, fisherfolk organizations, civil society organizations, the fisheries industry and consumer groups to spotlight the importance of the fight against illegal fishing on this international day.